[Vision2020] Shopping Center Plans Filed forPullman-Moscow Highway Site

Bruce and Jean Livingston jeanlivingston at turbonet.com
Sun Jan 8 18:19:39 PST 2006


We understand that if the sales tax money goes to Boise, that in some fashion a portion gets back to us.  

But when that portion has no connection to the generation of the money in the first place, it is madness to consider the slight pro rata return of our portion of state sales tax money as automatically being worth the cost of the required infrastructure and quality of life losses that are needed to generate the money. There are far better ways to seek growth and economic development than to focus on large scale retail when sales tax is not retained by the community bearing the brunt of the development.

Bruce Livingston
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Harkins 
  To: Mark Solomon ; vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 12:26 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Shopping Center Plans Filed forPullman-Moscow Highway Site


  Mark, 

  The tax code in Idaho is complicated and so it is not surprising that many are confused about how the dollars get allocated.

  Please refer to http://www3.state.id.us/cgi-bin/newidst?sctid=630360038.K where the allocation of the state sales tax is described.

  At a minimum, counties and cities receive about 14% of sales tax collected.  Distribution to specific counties and cities is usually based on the proportion of state population and/or proportion of assessed value.  While the distribution formula should probably be based on sales generated, the use of population and assessed value probably tracks retail sales pretty closely.

  Here is an excerpt from the State Tax Commission on the revenue sharing program:

  Tax Revenue Sharing
  In fiscal year (FY) 2004, 11.50 percent of Idaho's sales tax revenue was distributed to local
  governments based on the state's temporary 6 percent sales tax rate. About 3.24 percent of Idaho's
  total sales tax revenue was distributed directly to cities. Half of this amount was distributed according
  to population, and the other half was based on the market value of property within each city.
  Another 3.24 percent of the sales tax revenue was distributed directly to the counties. Each county
  received a guaranteed annual amount of $30,000. The rest was distributed according to population.
  In addition, 4.13 percent of the sales tax was distributed to counties, eligible cities, and nonschool
  taxing districts according to a complex formula based on amounts received in 1999, current
  population (for cities and counties), and current property taxes (for other eligible nonschool taxing
  districts). For more information on the formulas used for the distribution, contact the Idaho State Tax
  Commission.
  Also, eligible taxing districts received $13.4 million annually in quarterly distributions from state
  sales tax revenues to replace property tax on agricultural equipment that was exempted from property
  tax by legislation in 2001. And, small amounts of lottery withholding and estate tax were distributed
  to eligible counties.
  Distributions were made after the end of each quarter, so the FY 2003 fourth quarter portion of these
  totals was distributed in July 2004.

  So - bottom line Mark - if the pie is smaller, we get less pie!


  At 05:53 PM 1/7/2006, you wrote:

    The day that sales tax revenues stay where they were collected you might have an argument. But they don't.

    Mark Solomon

    At 1:26 PM -0800 1/7/06, Jeff Harkins wrote:

      And the sales tax revenue lost????

      At 12:56 PM 1/7/2006, you wrote:

        Do we have ESP, or what, Tom??? *laughing*

        Wal-Mart should go out there on the highway if they
        insist on being here. A Wal-Mart Superstore in Idaho
        is not fair to those who work there. Drive a few more
        miles to Washington, For discussion sake, let's say
        $2.00 more an hour minium wage. So.... $16.00 more
        dollars a day. That $80.00 more a week per FTE?
        $320.00 more a month, for a 40 hour employee, not bad.
        Not bad at all.

        Idaho residents working in Washington still pay Idaho
        state taxes.

        One store, in the middle of both cities, is better
        than 2, ten miles apart.

        The current site for a Super-store is not acceptable
        to me.

        Janesta Carcich

        --- Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:


           >From today's (January 7, 2006) Moscow-Pullman Daily
           News -




        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

           -----------------------------------------------



           Shopping Center Plans filed for Pullman-Moscow
           Highway Site



           Application includes a Lowe's home improvement store

           Staff report



           Tow months of rumors an speculation about the
           possible development of a
           shopping center on the Pullman-Moscow Highway are
           confirmed with the
           application from a Boise developer to build one on
           the site.



           Whitman County Engineer Mark Storey said Hawkins
           Companies submitted an
           application for a conditional-use permit and filed
           an environmental
           checklist required under Washington's State
           Environmental Policy Act.  The
           application was filed Wednesday.



           Speculation started in late October when a sign
           appeared on the site near
           the Idaho border announcing plans for development of
           a shopping center.  The
           sign disappeared two weeks later.



           The company's website displays plans for a complex
           just west of the Idaho
           state line.  The design includes three large retail
           stores, one of which has
           been earmarked for a 135,000 square-foot Lowe's home
           improvement center.
           The plans also include space for eight smaller
           retails stores ranging from
           20,000 to 30,000 square feet and eight smaller "pad"
           areas.



           Lowe's declined to comment on a possible store in
           the Pullman-Moscow area,
           although a company representative did say the home
           improvement chain plans
           to expand throughout the United states in 2006.



           Storey is reviewing the application and said it will
           take between two and
           two-and-a-half months for the application to move to
           a public hearing before
           the Board of Adjustment.



           Representatives of Hawkins Companies have not
           responded to requests for
           interviews.




        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

           -----------------------------------------------



           Anybody taking odds on how this will affect
           WalMart's application for a
           super center?



           Take care, Moscow.



           Tom Hansen

           Moscow, Idaho



           ***********************************
           Work like you don't need the money.
           Love like you've never been hurt.
           Dance like nobody's watching.

           - Author Unknown
           ***********************************



           >
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        Janesta Carcich

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